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Kick Keswick #3
Perfect
Despite her best intentions, Kick Keswick--international jewel thief, fabulous dresser, gourmet cook, and woman-about-town--finds herself drawn into the glamorous, dangerous world of jewels (and the people who covet them)....
It should have been the start of a perfect sojourn in Provence. Kick Keswick had just settled down to warm chocolate soufflé with a decadently rich Grand Marnier sauce and a small glass of Armagnac when she receives startling the personal jewels of the Queen of England herself have gone missing, and she wants Kick to get them back. Most of the world knows Kick as an expert in jewels and antiquities, having been the right hand at Ballantine & Company Auctioneers in London, but others know Kick as the world's finest jewel thief, a woman who can stand out in a crowd at will, but who can also blend in when she wants to. So the chase is on, in a race that takes her from Provence to Paris, London, St. Moritz, and Milan--and puts all her wiles and talents to the test as she faces a thief whose skills match her own. And with Kick Keswick on the case, there will be trouble afoot--of the multifaceted kind.
With sophistication, wit, and insider details, Perfect is a madcap adventure that takes you on a quest for the things that make life worth living…or at least worth talking about.
It should have been the start of a perfect sojourn in Provence. Kick Keswick had just settled down to warm chocolate soufflé with a decadently rich Grand Marnier sauce and a small glass of Armagnac when she receives startling the personal jewels of the Queen of England herself have gone missing, and she wants Kick to get them back. Most of the world knows Kick as an expert in jewels and antiquities, having been the right hand at Ballantine & Company Auctioneers in London, but others know Kick as the world's finest jewel thief, a woman who can stand out in a crowd at will, but who can also blend in when she wants to. So the chase is on, in a race that takes her from Provence to Paris, London, St. Moritz, and Milan--and puts all her wiles and talents to the test as she faces a thief whose skills match her own. And with Kick Keswick on the case, there will be trouble afoot--of the multifaceted kind.
With sophistication, wit, and insider details, Perfect is a madcap adventure that takes you on a quest for the things that make life worth living…or at least worth talking about.
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
19 people are currently reading
190 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews
August 23, 2016
I swear, this is one of my all time favourite books and I read it whenever I feel like I need a little sparkle in my life.
First off, it'll inspire you to want to cook beautiful things and drink lots of wine. LOTS of wine. It'll also make you want to shop for luxurious items and spend your day being a lady of leisure. I suggest making sure that you've got a bottle of sparkling wine chilling, a box of chocolates, and some beautiful pjs to wear while you read.
Kick is unlike any character I've ever met before. She's a realist and, while kind, she's not the sweet little grandmotherly type one associates with a woman of a certain age. Kick is a career women with a discerning eye and impeccable taste. She loves the finer things, has a ton of confidence, and is a total badass (although she would never use language like that). She's also a jewel thief with a fondness for cool gadgets and disguises.
This particular story is my favourite. Set primarily in a secret winter getaway for only the wealthiest of the wealthy, it mixes mystery with humour and a hint of romance.
First off, it'll inspire you to want to cook beautiful things and drink lots of wine. LOTS of wine. It'll also make you want to shop for luxurious items and spend your day being a lady of leisure. I suggest making sure that you've got a bottle of sparkling wine chilling, a box of chocolates, and some beautiful pjs to wear while you read.
Kick is unlike any character I've ever met before. She's a realist and, while kind, she's not the sweet little grandmotherly type one associates with a woman of a certain age. Kick is a career women with a discerning eye and impeccable taste. She loves the finer things, has a ton of confidence, and is a total badass (although she would never use language like that). She's also a jewel thief with a fondness for cool gadgets and disguises.
This particular story is my favourite. Set primarily in a secret winter getaway for only the wealthiest of the wealthy, it mixes mystery with humour and a hint of romance.
July 24, 2010
Not sure why this book was shelved as a mystery, since we know who commits the central jewel theft from the get-go, but otherwise this is a serviceable sequel to the Kick Keswick story. Retired from thievery and living in Provence, Kick's husband (retired from Scotland Yard) asks her to help recover the stolen crown jewels. Replete with tony locations and gourmet meals, the Champagne tastes are a bit over-the-top in these austere times, but I like that our heroine is of a certain age and indifferent to fitness.
February 5, 2013
Love this series! I love Kick. I love the beautiful settings and all the travel this book offers. The entire series is a must read!
November 11, 2021
Imagine being at a snowy Shangri-La, wearing fabulous clothes and jewels and mixing with the creme de la creme of the very rich.
That is the backdrop in which jewel thief Kick Keswick finds herself and where the actions takes place in this humorous mystery. Just when she had settled down into retirement at her own little estate in Provence with her loving husband, retired Scotland Yard detective Thomas Curtis, he gets marching orders from the Queen of England and begins to hatch a plan using his wife's 'specialized' background and skills to go on the hunt for the historic, priceless jewels stolen from her royal highness.
While her husband may be aware that she used to work as a jewel thief, he doesn't know her secrets — or where she has stored her tools of the trade. So he sets up a plan and she just as quickly makes her own plan. And by meeting the right people gets invited to that very, very secret hideaway for the ultra-rich.
Kick knows the talk, the walk, the right fashions and the most dazzling jewels to make an impact and this tale moves at a good pace as she get close to the suspect and the goods. Kick can be a bit annoying — she is perfect in every way except perhaps her waistline — this is an entertaining and enjoyable read.
That is the backdrop in which jewel thief Kick Keswick finds herself and where the actions takes place in this humorous mystery. Just when she had settled down into retirement at her own little estate in Provence with her loving husband, retired Scotland Yard detective Thomas Curtis, he gets marching orders from the Queen of England and begins to hatch a plan using his wife's 'specialized' background and skills to go on the hunt for the historic, priceless jewels stolen from her royal highness.
While her husband may be aware that she used to work as a jewel thief, he doesn't know her secrets — or where she has stored her tools of the trade. So he sets up a plan and she just as quickly makes her own plan. And by meeting the right people gets invited to that very, very secret hideaway for the ultra-rich.
Kick knows the talk, the walk, the right fashions and the most dazzling jewels to make an impact and this tale moves at a good pace as she get close to the suspect and the goods. Kick can be a bit annoying — she is perfect in every way except perhaps her waistline — this is an entertaining and enjoyable read.
March 11, 2021
Kick Keswick series #3Wh
Kick Keswick, the recently retired Shamrock Burglar, is enjoying her life in the south of France with her husband, Thomas and Bijou their dog. Of course when some of the most treasured jewelry collection of the Queen of England go missing, who better to track down the thief and steal them back?
It's set in snowy Switzerland in a private resort for the super wealthy, with horses and sleighs as the mode of transportation. With a white-tie gala at the end, plenty of fabulous jewelry, clothing, food and adult beverages - ah, to live in Kick's world!
How hasn't this been made into a movie series yet?
Kick Keswick, the recently retired Shamrock Burglar, is enjoying her life in the south of France with her husband, Thomas and Bijou their dog. Of course when some of the most treasured jewelry collection of the Queen of England go missing, who better to track down the thief and steal them back?
It's set in snowy Switzerland in a private resort for the super wealthy, with horses and sleighs as the mode of transportation. With a white-tie gala at the end, plenty of fabulous jewelry, clothing, food and adult beverages - ah, to live in Kick's world!
How hasn't this been made into a movie series yet?
June 1, 2021
This is a silly little book. It is a mystery, not a murder mystery. It is about a female jewel thief who had retired but came back to help Queen Elizabeth to find who stole some of her jewels. It was very light reading and talks about really girly things. But perfect to sit on the beach and read.
December 15, 2021
Honestly, these books just seem to get better! MDK just has a way of making you love Kick in all her cleverness. She's just the epitome of competence and so charming in her determination to be who she is. So glad I found this series.
March 17, 2024
This book was okay, which makes me sad because I was really excited to read it. The beginning was enticing, the last 1/4 of the book was good, but the middle was very boring to me. I feel like it drug on forever without adding to the heist that was supposed to be happening.
September 12, 2017
Fun, easy, great food descriptions. Take-me-away type of book.
April 21, 2019
Another great Kick Keswick adventure.
June 10, 2019
Kick did it again and keeps getting more marvelous! Onto the next one!
February 8, 2020
I love everything about this series: the escapism, the food, the jewelry, and the sheer fabulousness of its heroine.
September 12, 2020
Best one yet
I love Kick Keswick and her antics. This was my favorite book so far it felt like a world wind tour of the rich and famous.
I love Kick Keswick and her antics. This was my favorite book so far it felt like a world wind tour of the rich and famous.
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April 23, 2021January 2008
Recommended by Tori R
Recommended by Tori R
September 6, 2010
Another fun outing with Kick Keswick, former world-class jewelry burglar, trying her best to live a quiet life with her husband and dog in a small village in Provence.
When Kick's husband, Thomas Curtis, retired from Scotland Yard, gets a call to temporarily return to work, Kick is annoyed. Well, at least until Thomas asks for her help, and she finds out that she will be trying to recover some of the most valuable jewels in the world, those belonging to Elizabeth II of England. It is strongly suspected that her personal valet has taken them, and disappeared under a new identity, in the extremely exclusive location of Mont Sant-Anges, in Switzerland - a location so exclusive that most of the world doesn't even know it exists, or how to get there.
This was a good read, not just because I find Kick amusing and enterprising, but also because I liked reading about snowstorms and warm drinks at the end of this too-hot summer! It's also fun to hear her describe not just her actual skills for jewelry making and detecting, but go on shopping sprees with the character while she is buying clothes for her new identities, or food to prepare.
(I do have to warn you though - she makes a devil's food cake in this book that made me almost willing to eat the pages, to see if by any chance they tasted like the cake!)
If you are fond of food, jewelry, interesting vacations, and some good storytelling that doesn't require your utmost concentration to keep up, I can guarantee you'll like this book.
When Kick's husband, Thomas Curtis, retired from Scotland Yard, gets a call to temporarily return to work, Kick is annoyed. Well, at least until Thomas asks for her help, and she finds out that she will be trying to recover some of the most valuable jewels in the world, those belonging to Elizabeth II of England. It is strongly suspected that her personal valet has taken them, and disappeared under a new identity, in the extremely exclusive location of Mont Sant-Anges, in Switzerland - a location so exclusive that most of the world doesn't even know it exists, or how to get there.
This was a good read, not just because I find Kick amusing and enterprising, but also because I liked reading about snowstorms and warm drinks at the end of this too-hot summer! It's also fun to hear her describe not just her actual skills for jewelry making and detecting, but go on shopping sprees with the character while she is buying clothes for her new identities, or food to prepare.
(I do have to warn you though - she makes a devil's food cake in this book that made me almost willing to eat the pages, to see if by any chance they tasted like the cake!)
If you are fond of food, jewelry, interesting vacations, and some good storytelling that doesn't require your utmost concentration to keep up, I can guarantee you'll like this book.
January 27, 2011
The Little Bookworm
Kick Keswick is the world's best jewel thief. But she is retired. That is until the Queen's jewels are stolen and Kick is recruited to steal them back. Kick enters the world of the beyond wealthy to find the thief and get back the jewels and it will take all her wits and skill to do just that.
I love heist stories. And this one is an inverted heist story because Kick is a thief stealing from a thief at the behest of Scotland Yard. Kick is very good at what she does and she knows a lot about jewels and jewelry and all the finest things in life. I liked her and her descriptions of all these things. And food. OMG the food in this book is described in such detail. I went around hungry the entire time I read it.
It turns out, though, that this is third in the series. It wasn't a problem, prior knowledge isn't really necessary to read this one. There is some summing up of past adventures but it's not blow-by-blow or anything. But now I want to start at the beginning and read some of her adventures when she was an actual jewel thief and not just "coming out of retirement" for this caper. Because Kick is very clever and really knows her stuff. The plan is so simple yet so elaborate and I loved reading how it played out. This is definitely a fun series if you like mysteries or heists or food or all of the above.
Kick Keswick is the world's best jewel thief. But she is retired. That is until the Queen's jewels are stolen and Kick is recruited to steal them back. Kick enters the world of the beyond wealthy to find the thief and get back the jewels and it will take all her wits and skill to do just that.
I love heist stories. And this one is an inverted heist story because Kick is a thief stealing from a thief at the behest of Scotland Yard. Kick is very good at what she does and she knows a lot about jewels and jewelry and all the finest things in life. I liked her and her descriptions of all these things. And food. OMG the food in this book is described in such detail. I went around hungry the entire time I read it.
It turns out, though, that this is third in the series. It wasn't a problem, prior knowledge isn't really necessary to read this one. There is some summing up of past adventures but it's not blow-by-blow or anything. But now I want to start at the beginning and read some of her adventures when she was an actual jewel thief and not just "coming out of retirement" for this caper. Because Kick is very clever and really knows her stuff. The plan is so simple yet so elaborate and I loved reading how it played out. This is definitely a fun series if you like mysteries or heists or food or all of the above.
November 4, 2024
Kick Keswick books are light, airy, decadent, fun, extravagant, and delicious (much like the chocolate souffle described with great detail in the opening chapters of this book.) In this novel (which can stand alone from the series), Kick Keswick is on a mission to recover the Queen of England's famous jewels. Since Kick is the leading jewel thief of the modern world (retired of course) this assignment is nothing she can't handle.
Like all the books in the series, "Perfect" is filled with images of delectable food, gorgeous jewelry, and comforts that only large amounts of money can provide. It also has suspense, high tech gadgets, theivery, and intrigue. (It is so intriguing, in fact, that I spent an extra 15 minutes on the elliptical machine because I become so engrossed and there is no higher praise than increased physical activity.)
Update: The reread of this book was just as enjoyable as the first time. I still love this decadent novel.
Like all the books in the series, "Perfect" is filled with images of delectable food, gorgeous jewelry, and comforts that only large amounts of money can provide. It also has suspense, high tech gadgets, theivery, and intrigue. (It is so intriguing, in fact, that I spent an extra 15 minutes on the elliptical machine because I become so engrossed and there is no higher praise than increased physical activity.)
Update: The reread of this book was just as enjoyable as the first time. I still love this decadent novel.
May 9, 2009
I always like adventures with Kick Keswick -- they are fun, fast-paced, easy reads. I had the mystery of this one figured out pretty early, though I missed a couple of details. Even with the easy to guess mystery, it was a great read. I was fairly jealous of the exclusive resort town, and the seemingly unending supplies of money the characters had, but that comes with all the Kick books. I wish the author had finished Oscar's story, because I liked him as a character, but if that was the only complaint, it was a great read.
June 7, 2009
The personal jewels of the Queen of England are missing. It is Kick that she asks to get them back. This will take her from Provence to Paris, London, St. Moritz, and Milan.
Oh and did I mention that this is a woman who loves good food and is not afraid of it?
Oh and please don't miss chapter forty-two. It is her take on Viagra. I have never N-E-V-E-R laughed so hard in my life. Even know just thinking about it will make me smile.
Oh and did I mention that this is a woman who loves good food and is not afraid of it?
Oh and please don't miss chapter forty-two. It is her take on Viagra. I have never N-E-V-E-R laughed so hard in my life. Even know just thinking about it will make me smile.
July 13, 2014
Very likeable main character: strong-willed and slightly sassy. The plot was definitely a little far-fetched, but the details (wines, gourmet foods, and exquisite locations) were interesting enough to forgive some of the unbelievable action.
Enjoyable along the lines of the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich and the Heller series by JD Nixon.
(I purchased the rest of the Kick Keswick series for Nook at discount prices)
Enjoyable along the lines of the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich and the Heller series by JD Nixon.
(I purchased the rest of the Kick Keswick series for Nook at discount prices)
January 7, 2009
This is one book, in a series of adventures in the world of a (retired) jewelry thief. I really like the extraordinary level of detail and storytelling of this author - the way she describes the gourmet food, outrageous jewelry, landscape/settings (Swiss Alps this time) and clothing make it a really fun read.
January 20, 2009
What I really like about the Kick Keswick series is each book is just as good as a stand-alone as it is in the series. You can pick up just one and you'll be filled in on her history and where she is in her life at the time. Still, I enjoy reading them in order. Looking forward to more adventures.
February 14, 2012
Another thoroughly enjoyable Kick Keswick novel. It should seem contrived that the author keeps coming up with reasons to separate Kick and Thomas from the Provence farm--and from each other--for Kick to carry out her capers, but it never does. These books are so enjoyable and the locations and plots so exotic that all things become possible. I can't wait to find the next one.
December 30, 2012
Who could say no to Her Majesty the Queen? Certainly not retired jewel thief, Kick Keswick, as we join her on her on a magnificent and lavish adventure to help Her Majesty recover her stolen jewels. Like other books in the series, provided a light, delicious, and at times comical read - thoroughly enjoyable!
May 15, 2014
I love this series. Kick Keswick is such a wonderful character: clever, witty, elegant. In this installment she travels to an exclusive, luxurious Swiss village to catch the person who stole the queen's jewels. Though the resolution was a bit anticlimactic, I had fun tagging along on Kick's adventure.
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March 10, 2015This was a fun book. I loved that our heroine was a woman of a certain age who was over worrying about her weight and indulged in tasty food, all of which was lovingly described. I got this book on sale and it was the third in the series. I'm looking forward to going to the first book and learning more about this entertaining character.
January 25, 2008
This is the beginning of a series (4 books) that were original, funny, and very creative -- a woman who is a jewel thief (and a top notch, classy, food-loving one at that!) Reading this made me want to visit Europe and at times made me want to get in the kitchen and cook up a gourmet meal.
December 3, 2008
once again I was transported to a glittering European life with Kick Keswick. It is the atmosphere as much as the story but I love these books. I hope Kellogg has another one the way. I enjoy her other series but not as much as this one. Each one gets better than the last.
September 12, 2014
Picked this up for the plane - it was a lil hoity toity, but also some good champagne-y fun. When I find myself staring down the barrel of a 12-hour travel day, I'll pick up another Kick Keswick book.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 51 reviews